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Hélène Laverdière, NDP Critic for Foreign Affairs, made the following statement:

“Today the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Dr. Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad for their work addressing sexual and gender based violence in war. The NDP recognizes the courageous actions of both recipients and congratulates them on winning this prestigious award.

Dr. Mukwege – through his work at the Panzi Hospital – has treated victims of sexual and gender based violence, a tragically defining feature of the armed conflict that has persisted in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo for nearly 20 years. Nadia Murad has drawn attention to the use of rape as a weapon of war by members of ISIS/Daesh against over 3000 Yazidi women and girls in Iraq, including Ms. Murad herself.

This year’s prize was awarded on the tenth anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1820, which condemned the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, and stipulated that rape and other forms of sexual violence may constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity or acts of genocide. We, in the NDP, are firmly committed to all UN Security Council Resolutions relating to Women, Peace and Security.

When women are included in peace processes, there is a 20 per cent increase in the probability of an agreement lasting at least 2 years, and a 35 per cent increase in the probability of an agreement lasting at least 15 years. The Liberal government must allocate additional funding to support their rhetoric on women, peace and security, beginning by allocating a budget for the newly created Women, Peace and Security Ambassador and for the implementation of the National action plan on Women, Peace and Security.”